Written Answers Tuesday 7 September 2010

Scottish Executive

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) drug and (b) alcohol-related accident and emergency admissions at (i) Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline and (b) Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy represented repeat admissions in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35669 on 6 September 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Education

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when its officials last discussed with representatives of Glasgow City Council the subject of support for pupils with English as an additional language and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Adam Ingram: Scottish Government officials meet regularly with Glasgow City Council to discuss a wide range of issues. Officials have not met representatives specifically on the subject of pupils with English as an additional language, however, there is a meeting scheduled to take place on 13 October 2010, which will include a discussion on English as an additional language.

Education

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last discussed with representatives of Glasgow City Council the subject of support for pupils with English as an additional language and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Adam Ingram: Scottish ministers meet regularly with Glasgow City Council to discuss a wide range of issues. While there have been no meetings specifically on the subject of English as an additional language, officials are due to meet representatives of Glasgow City Council on 13 October 2010, which will include discussion on English as an additional language.

Education

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the outcome of the consultation on regulations to reduce P1 classes to a maximum of 25 pupils.

Michael Russell: Shortly.

Education

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a class size limit in Gaelic-medium schools that is lower than the limit in mainstream schools.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government recognises that the matter of the size of bilingual class is worthy of individual consideration and included a question about this in a recent wider ranging consultation exercise on class sizes. Responses to the consultation are currently under consideration and an announcement will be made shortly.

Education

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that teachers working in those schools in which a large number of pupils have English as an additional language face additional responsibility and, if so, how it plans to recognise these.

Adam Ingram: All teachers in Scotland are required to "effectively identify and respond appropriately to pupils with difficulties in, or barriers to, learning and seek advice in relation to their child protection and additional support needs" which may include English as an additional language. This is reflected in The Standard for Full Registration (the baseline professional standard which applies to all teachers registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland).

  Count Us In published September 2009, an HM Inspectorate of Education report into the educational experiences of New Scots, looked at the impact of the numbers of newly-arrived children and young people from migrant families on education services. The task involved a survey of all 32 local authorities and direct fieldwork with 12 local authorities and identified areas of particular challenge and examples of good practice.

  Learning in 2+ :languages was produced by SEALCC and the Centre for Education of Racial Equality in Scotland (CERES) to help all staff in educational establishments better to understand the strengths and development needs of bilingual learners and to address them more effectively within the mainstream classroom.

Education

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any future regulations regarding primary class sizes will recognise additional responsibilities faced by teachers working in those schools in which a large number of pupils have English as an additional language.

Michael Russell: While the issue of English as an additional language was not part of the recent consultation on whether regulations should be introduced to set a statutory maximum of 25 for P1 classes it was raised by some respondents. The Scottish Government is currently considering all the responses to the consultation exercise and an announcement will be made shortly.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have entered each Scottish university in each year from 2008-09, broken down by domicile of student

Michael Russell: This information is produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and is available for year 2008-09, but has not yet been published for year 2009-10.

  Entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions by Domicile - 2008-09

  

 
 All Domiciles
 Scotland
 England
 Wales
 Northern Ireland


 All
 106,115 
 75,105 
 7,465 
 225 
 1,400 


 Edinburgh College of Art
 520 
 250 
 105 
 5 
 15 


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 9,200 
 7,370 
 460 
 15 
 100 


 Glasgow School of Art
 600 
 215 
 120 
 5 
 15 


 Heriot-Watt University
 3,940 
 1,420 
 450 
 10 
 110 


 Napier University
 6,595 
 4,020 
 300 
 5 
 105 


 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
 2,105 
 1,375 
 155 
 5 
 80 


 Scottish Agricultural College
 490 
 380 
 35 
 - 
 5 


 The Open University
 8,175 
 8,175 
 - 
 - 
 - 


 The Robert Gordon University
 6,050 
 4,335 
 280 
 20 
 30 


 The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
 320 
 185 
 40 
 5 
 5 


 The University of Aberdeen
 6,440 
 3,810 
 655 
 10 
 100 


 The University of Dundee
 5,865 
 3,835 
 685 
 25 
 165 


 The University of Edinburgh
 9,520 
 4,250 
 2,070 
 60 
 145 


 The University of Glasgow
 11,180 
 8,555 
 580 
 20 
 200 


 The University of St Andrews
 4,220 
 905 
 840 
 20 
 85 


 The University of Stirling
 4,020 
 2,765 
 255 
 5 
 70 


 The University of Strathclyde
 8,975 
 7,150 
 210 
 10 
 95 


 The University of the West of Scotland
 10,945 
 10,210 
 90 
 5 
 20 


 UHI Millennium Institute
 5,060 
 4,735 
 90 
 5 
 10 


 University of Abertay Dundee
 1,900 
 1,165 
 45 
 - 
 40 



  Notes:

  Data supplied by the Higher Education statistics Agency (HESA).

  Numbers rounded to the nearest five.

  Due to unknown domiciles the sum of the individual domiciles may not equal the total.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the drop-out rate has been in each higher education institution in each year since 2007.

Michael Russell: Non-continuation rates are calculated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for full-time first degree entrants. These are shown for each Scottish Higher Education Institution for academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09, the most recent years available.

  Non-Continuation Rates following Year of Entry: Full-Time First Degree Entrants

  

 
 2007-08 (%)
 2008-09 (%)


 Total Scotland
 10.6 
 9.9 


 The University of Aberdeen
 8.3 
 8.6 


 University of Abertay Dundee
 7.6 
 6.6 


 The University of Dundee
 8.2 
 8.1 


 Edinburgh College of Art
 6.5 
 7.0 


 Edinburgh Napier University (#)
 16.9 
 16.4 


 The University of Edinburgh
 5.0 
 4.4 


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 13.2 
 10.5 


 Glasgow School of Art
 2.6 
 2.1 


 The University of Glasgow
 8.9 
 8.0 


 Heriot-Watt University
 10.1 
 9.0 


 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
 10.4 
 14.0 


 The Robert Gordon University
 10.6 
 9.0 


 The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
 6.3 
 6.5 


 The University of St Andrews
 2.1 
 2.5 


 The University of Stirling
 7.7 
 9.5 


 The University of Strathclyde
 10.0 
 10.5 


 UHI Millennium Institute
 28.2 
 25.4 


 The University of the West of Scotland (*)
 - 
 21.4 



  Notes:

  1. Performance Indicators are calculated and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

  2. Non-continuation rates are calculated as the proportion of those entrants registered in the previous academic year who did not return in the stated year. E.g. for 2008-09 this is the proportion of 2007-08 entrants who did not return in 2008-09.

  # In 2008-09 Napier University changed its name to Edinburgh Napier University.

  *Due to the merger of the University of Paisley and Bell College to create the University of the West of Scotland in 2007 this performance indicator was not produced for this institution in 2007-08.

Mental Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a reduction in staffing at Breathing Space has led to fewer calls being answered.

Shona Robison: Breathing Space is currently receiving and answering significantly more calls than this time last year. For example, in July 2010 Breathing Space answered 5,885 calls compared to 3,341 in July 2009, which is a 76% increase.

  At the end of 2009, some Breathing Space Staff left, which temporarily reduced capacity available. Shift patterns of the remaining staff were reviewed to ensure that resource was aligned to incoming call demand patterns. This combined with Supervisors also taking calls contributed to more calls being answered.

  A recruitment campaign took place in March 2010 to recruit a further 2.4 whole-time equivalent to bring the service back to previous staffing levels. Those staff started in June 2010. NHS24/Breathing Space continually reviews its workforce and capacity planning, and is now considering how the service needs to adapt to any increase in call demand approaching the winter season.

Ministerial Correspondence

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its performance was in answering ministerial correspondence in the first quarter of 2010.

Bruce Crawford: In the quarter January to March 2010, 8,008 letters were received by ministers and 97% received a reply within our target of 20 working days.

Social Work

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to the continuing provision of a masters level postgraduate qualifying social work course in Glasgow.

Michael Russell: This is a matter for Glasgow University and the Glasgow School of Social Work. Universities are autonomous institutions, and the decisions on the courses they provide, and the number of students they admit are theirs, and will be based on the student and employers’ needs. However, Scottish Government officials have been in discussion with the Scottish Funding Council about the current situation, and we are confident that there is sufficient provision in the West of Scotland to meet the need for these courses.

  Social work plays a key role in supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that we have a confident, competent and valued workforce.